LITTLE CINDY, Happy Birthday Jesus, 1959

Another record I picked up for a dollar in Brattleboro last summer. Little Cindy might be a little more well-known because John Waters put Happy Birthday Jesus on a CD collection of his favourite Christmas songs a couple of years ago. Yes, this is creepy.

Exploiting kids is never a good idea, no matter how talented they may be, especially not in the name of religion. On Happy Birthday Jesus Little Cindy is not even singing but basically just reciting a prayer in a very cute southern voice:

“Happy Birthday, Jesus!, Momma said that you was near, And that you had a birthday, This time every year.

She told me how you listen , To every word we say, And that you hear us calling, In the night … or in the day.

She ’splained how bad they hurt you, those awful naughty men.
But said you let them do it, For girls like me … what sin.

She said about the manger, they took and put you in. I’d let you have my blanket, If I was here back then.

She said that you were watching, Everything we do …
Her, and daddy and Granny, And our new baby, too.

I like what momma told me, Of how you healed the lame. And that they didn’t have to have any wealth, Or fame.

She told you was so awful good, And then she made me cry …
She said they nailed you to the cross, They wanted you to die.

She said that you forgave them, cuz you was dying for our sin. And then it made me happy, when she said you came back again

Momma said that Christmas is what we celebrate
Because on that day you was born.

So I hope I’m not too late, To wish you a Happy Birthday. Dear Jesus, I”ll be true, cuz momma said if I was good you’d let me live with you.”

Just wanted to say that my mom ordered this record when I was a little girl. I found it in her records, still in the envelope it came in. I remember I listened to it a lot as a little girl. I wonder what ever happened to ‘Little Cindy’.

In November 1965, radio station WHOW in Clinton, Illinois included a program whose hosts went completely garbanzo over this recording by a child evangelist and started selling copies of it for $5. Most albums didn’t cost $5 at the time.

Little Cindy was eight years old when she recorded this in 1959, but by 1965 the recording was brand new and I believe Cindy was more like five or six. The broadcast effusions implied that the recording was a kind of miracle. It seems listeners were supposed to think of her as divinely inspired. I do not think they were trying to say that Cindy actually wrote this stuff. Or maybe they were. The composer was G. Donald MacGraw. Those are apparently the Willis Sisters ooo-ing in the background. The B-side was a dollop of syrupy goo entitled “He’s Around When Everybody Turns You Down” which sounded unnervingly like Pebbles Flintstone singing “Let The Sunshine in”.

I couldn’t download or listen to “He’s Around” via your link, but if you’ll put it back up, I’ll be happy to see what I can do with a GoldWave mixer.

i was so happy to find this my father bought this for me for christmas when i was six that was 46 years ago thank god for comp becouse i found it again ..he has been passed for 7 years now god rest his soul and i know he lives with jesus would like to find this record and give to my grandchildren so they aswell can enjoy it as much as i did .thank u little cindy where ever u r .it holds a very close memory of me and my daddy close to my heart

Thank you. I recited this poem in 1970 or 1971, I was 7 or eight yrs old. I was in my school Christmas program and had this poem to memorize. I have looked for this for years, because I could only remembers part of it. I did not know the author, but only the beginning words. I now have grand girls and they will be reciting this our Church Christmas program.

Yes, love it. I had a copy of this record ever since I was little and lost it. I live in Virginia not far from Salem VA. Is there anyway you could make me a copy for my personal use. cbttybpggr@aol.com

I remember reciting this poem in 4th 5th and 6th grade while my choir hummed and choir teacher played Silent Night. It had come put a decade before and she had it in her records m She gave it to be to listen and copy the words and learn. When in the 6th grade I was even sick with strep, but I didn’t want to miss doing it. It was the highlight of my year. I was proud to be able to do it and all the verses were true to me, except the last one becaise I knew that spending eternity with the Lord was not based on my goodness but faith in His work as Savior. I never felt used or manipulated. It was so special. I’d sure love this record of you ever want to part with it.

About me:
My name is Andreas Michalke. I´m a cartoonist from Berlin, Germany and I like collecting records. Most of the records I find in thrift stores or at flea markets here in Berlin. I like a lot of music but I thought I`d focus on odd German records. Preferably with cartoon covers.
All my scans are high-resolution. If you double-click on them they will get much bigger.

1. I will not use material, that is already available in digital format elsewhere.

2.The artists I present are either anonymous or pseudonymous or dead or no longer active.

3. I feel that if nobody has cared to reissue a record in 50 years, it is fair to present it.

Note: Please don´t ask for re-ups. I don´t have time for that. What´s gone is gone.